And Counting
by jambled
Summary: Oneshot vignette on Lil's thoughts about Joesph. Complete.


And Counting…

Playlist: Can't stop this feeling I've Got by Razorlight / Glorious Day by Embrace / Love for Granted by Phoenix

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be.

It was eight weeks and five days since they'd officially started dating. Nine weeks exactly since she'd first discovered he was alive, and seven weeks since every phone conversation ended with Joseph saying 'I love you.' As relationships go, it was probably fairly standard. For Lilly, she felt they were hurtling past the realms of the intimate into the kind of love that sucked the air out of you, sucker punched you every time you thought of that person. She'd only felt it once before; it was the first time she and Ray had locked eyes across a crowded café. He'd walked over to her, offered her the cream off his cappuccino. She'd smiled, elicited a smile in return, felt herself agreeing to a ride on his bike. They'd blasted out onto the freeway and ridden for miles. He'd given her his jacket on the ride home and she still remembered the way it had smelt on her skin long after she'd taken it off. A warm smell of mixed leather and spice. Last time she'd seen him, he was still wearing the same aftershave.

Joseph turned in his sleep and Lil pushed a hand under her pillow, drew her legs up to her. She could just barely make out his silhouette in the glow from the early morning sunlight, burgeoning over the city scape. Seven weeks and five days since they'd started sleeping together, and four weeks and three days since his presence overnight had become a constant. They hadn't talked about moving in together, but it had just happened that more of Joseph's things had started appearing until Lilly had cleared a gap in the closet for him and sacrificed half her shoe space so he could store his sneakers.

At work, she'd avoided questions about him. Getting a conviction had helped her case, and Stillman had finally come around to write a recommendation that no action be taken against her. Her arrest rate was the final factor that had convinced the sentencing board to write this off as nothing more than job pressure and post-traumatic stress that hadn't been properly dealt with. Lilly had been given two weeks off and the number of the department counsellor. She'd taken the two weeks off straight away. She and Joseph had spent the first week dating. He'd shown up at her door with flowers, taken her to Italian restaurants and kissed her at her doorway without inviting himself in. It was on Friday, their fifth date of laughing, drinking too much wine, talking about anything that crossed their minds and holding hands under the table, that she'd invited him in. He'd looked past her into the apartment, half smiled in the annoyingly endearing way he had before walking after her into the house. He'd finally met the girls close up, been approved by both of them and followed her up the stairs to her room. They'd made love slowly, hesitantly, somehow knowing what the other wanted but still experiencing the rush of a new lover, a new body to explore. He found she was ticklish down her backbone and she found running her tongue over his bottom lip drove him crazy.

Her second week off work had been spent out at the farm. She'd brought Olivia and Tripod out so they didn't have to drive in every day to feed them, and they'd spent the week between the bed, the kitchen and outside, walking amongst the trees. It rained on her second last day out there and they went walking in the rain, shaded by the overhang of the forest. They still got wet enough to shed their clothes as soon as they came back into the house before steaming up the bathroom with more than the spray of the hot water.

Then she'd been back to the daily grind; to catching killers, interviewing suspects, dealing with families who had lost people that were supposed to, according to them, live forever. Or at least longer than they had. She had missed her work, but when she was at work, she missed Joseph. He called her on her first day back, while she'd been sitting at her desk. She was alone in the office; waiting for Scotty to finish at court while everyone else was out chasing up leads. Her mobile had rung and she'd recognised the number, flipped it open.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting for Scotty to come back from court. Looking out the window."

"Thinking of me?"

"Mhm." Scotty came in and Lil swivelled so her back was facing him, kept the phone tightly to her ear.

"I just wanted to say something." He sounded serious and Lilly leant forward, an elbow resting on her knee.

"What is it?"

"I love you." Lilly let a small laugh escape her.

"And that was the purpose of the call?" She could almost feel his shrug down the line.

"Yeah. Just wanted to let you know."

"Thanks." Lilly shot a quick glance at Scotty, saw he was ready to go.

"Love you, too." She'd said it to him before, but mostly when they were wrapped around each other, or when he was asleep and couldn't hear her. She'd whisper it across the space between them, letting it land softly in his dreams.

"See you tonight." She repeated him and flipped the phone shut. Standing, grabbing her jacket, she ignored Scotty's questioning look and preceded him out.

It was eight weeks and six days since she'd been to a first Thursday, and three weeks and six days since the guys had stopped expecting her there. Four weeks and one day since she and Joseph had created their own tradition; once a week they'd both crowd the kitchen, cooking their way through an Italian cookbook. The night would be filled with wine, music, food they'd cooked themselves and exhausting sex.

"Mmm. Morning." Josesph cracked an eye open, smiled over at her. She needed less sleep than him, and they'd usually wake up this way; Lilly looking at him while he slumbered.

"Hey." She pushed her hand more firmly under her pillow as he reached out, draping his arm over her so his fingers brushed her backbone.

"Sleep well?" He asked. She nodded, turned over to snuggle into him. Two weeks and four days since he'd started asking her that question every morning. According to the clock, six hours since they'd made love. Also according to the clock, twenty five minutes until the alarm went off.

"Want to do something tonight?" His breath brushed aside her hair to reach the nape of her neck, make her shiver.

"Mhm." His hand lifted her singlet to draw circles on her stomach. Three weeks and one day since they'd started making plans but had never left the house. Sometimes, when all you wanted was the company of the other person, home was as good a place as any.

"Maybe we'll actually go somewhere instead of staying in?" His laugh ended the question. Two weeks and three days since she was sure he was looking into her thoughts.

"Maybe. Dinner? There's that Thai restaurant down the street."

"Sounds good." His voice was lazy in the morning air, and she put her hand on his, over her stomach. Three days and sixteen hours since she'd been sure that there were no longer just two of them in the bed. Maybe she'd tell him tonight, at the restaurant. Or on the couch, if they didn't end up getting through the door.

"I think I could stay here forever." His hand resumed circling her stomach slowly, and she kept hers over it, soothed by the movement.

"Mm." Five weeks and four days since she'd felt deservedly happy. One week and two days since he'd proposed, and six days since she'd felt courageous enough to wear the ring to work. Four days since the gossip had died down, and two days since she'd been able to stop herself smiling every time she caught sight of it.

"Hey. Today is our nine week anniversary. Nine weeks since you pointed a gun at me in my own house." Lil laughed softly, pulled his arm around her more.

"I guess it is."

"What, you didn't know?" He teased. She turned to him, put a knee over his thigh.

"You think I'm some hopeless romantic that counts things like that?" He looked at her eyes before a smile painted his lips.

"Yeah." He pulled her closer still, into the kind of hug that let their heartbeats find each other through flesh and clothes.

"But I won't tell anyone," he whispered in her ear. Nine weeks since she'd found her soul mate. Five weeks and one day since she'd tentatively let herself believe that. Three weeks and two days since she'd been convinced of it, and, beyond that, an endless amount of uncounted time she wanted to spend with him.


End file.
